Chrysler struggles in E. Ventura County
As reports surface that Chrysler may cut a quarter of its franchises across the nation, nervous Ventura County auto dealerships are struggling to stand out in an industry that has been crushed by higher fuel prices, the economy and shifting customer tastes. [Editor’s note: Read a related story about Chrysler dealerships in the Tri-Counties here.] Read More →
Atascadero robotics team rolls to nationals
High school sophomore Dustin Wyke plans to hit the joystick again this weekend, manipulating objects in a simulated space mission. He reached a new level in March, and hopes to conquer the top level of the game. But Wyke won’t be vegging out in front of a computer screen. The joystick he wields controls a Read More →
SLO, we have a problem – Drop in airport passengers forces expansion reductions
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has reported startling monthly declines in air traffic over the past year, marking a significant drop in business that forced officials to scale back their expansion plans. For a year now, the airport has handled fewer and fewer passengers every month, something that could be blamed on higher Read More →
Film gives creative director a second life
Nineteen employees at Weiser Creative are savoring the success of Tom Nance, a former employee who wrote and co-produced “Sherman’s Way,” a film that’s getting national press and picking up awards at film festivals. However, the savoring is bittersweet. Nance, the longtime creative director at Weiser, died in a motorcycle accident last September, just as Read More →
Bold plan for First California – Acquisition gives bank foothold in Inland Empire
When First California Bank snatched failed 1st Centennial Bank off the auction block, it added six more branches to its extensive list of locations and expanded the bank’s already prominent Southern California presence. In late January, Westlake Village-based First California made a strategic move, spending $100 million to acquire the insured deposits of 1st Centennial Read More →
Diablo Canyon hires 2,000 for upgrades
Though other parts of the Tri-Counties have seen staggering job losses in recent weeks, Pacific Gas & Electric has more than tripled its work force at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in Avila Beach. Diablo Canyon has hired 2,000 temporary workers as part of a two-stage, $700 million project that will make PG&E the Read More →
Meltdown in SLO – Problems drain $120M from troubled county businesses
Scandals, shady dealings and projects gone wrong have swamped San Luis Obispo County. In the last year, major homebuilders in the county and their financiers have gone belly up, triggering a flurry of criminal investigations. Bankruptcy filings say thousands of creditors — many of them small-time investors who put up their savings — are on Read More →
